Reviews

dhb Aeron Tempo waterproof jacket – review

A superb, lightweight waterproof jacket for high-tempo winter riding

dhb have a reputation for making well thought-out garments with decent quality at a competitive price point. The Aeron Tempo jacket is one such item.

Buying jackets for autumn and winter can be minefield. You want them to keep you at your optimum temperature by keeping you dry both on the outside and from within, and offering the protection you need from the variable elements we often encounter in the UK – but it can be difficult to find a jacket that ticks all these boxes without spending a fortune. The dhb Aeron Tempo jacket in an exception.

Designed for high tempo riding in autumn and winter, the Tempo’s performance in wet weather is extremely impressive. Its 100 per cent polyamide fabric boasts a 20,000mm waterproof rating, and 15,000 breathability rating, and it truly has the ability to keep the rain off while allowing enough sweat to escape that you don’t get drenched from the inside.

dhb’s Aeron Tempo waterproof jacket is ideal for high-tempo rides – and superb value for money

Specification
Price: £80 RRP
Weight: 203g (medium)
Sizes: XS-XXL
Size tested: M
Colours: Blue, red
Website: Wiggle

You won’t find fleece lining here for extra warmth, although that isn’t the point of the jacket – it’s a waterproof shell and it’s as breathable as any Gore-Tex jacket I’ve ever used. As a result, it’s the perfect companion for a speedy ride. Of course, that means it’s lightweight – 203g for a medium – so should you be using it as an outer shell over some thermal layers, it packs away nicely into a rear jersey pocket if you don’t need it.

The jacket has fully taped internal seams to help keep water out and additional underarm vents for when additional ventilation is required. It’s also finished with some nice touches too – an extra long storm flap to protect your rear, as well as a large single rear pocket for extra storage of essentials, should you need it on top of your regular jersey pockets.

The cuffs are elasticated to stop water worming its way up your arms, and the slim cut teamed with the slightly stretchy nature of the fabric speaks of its performance intentions. Even the zip pull is a nice length and easy to adjust at the collar.

In use, this £80 jacket performs brilliantly; certainly as well as some other jackets on the market that cost up to twice the price, and is a flexible go-to piece should the weather be relatively mild, or dipping into single figures when teamed with a base layer and jersey. It’s capable of seeing you through everything but the heaviest of prolonged downpours or most frigid of winter temperatures – where a heavier jacket may be called for. We’ve currently got dhb’s heavy-duty Aeron Storm jacket, another new additional to the range for this winter, on test so will see if that fits the bill.

It makes you ask, why pay more? We reviewed the 7Mesh Re:Gen jacket last spring, and while it’s Gore-Tex Active fabric remains pretty much the industry standard for waterproof breathability, its flaws mean that it’s definitely not worth £140 more, and we’d still be stretching it even if those flaws were solved.

And that’s where the Aeron Tempo jacket impresses – in the details. From the cut, to the quality waterproofed zips and overall breathability factor, there’s not one area that you can point to where their designers have made a faux-pas, or an omission worthy of striking the Aeron from your jacket wishlist. It’s true, we would like the option of a small front pocket on the chest for easy access of small essential like keys, but we’re being picky and that’s hardly an issue when you consider the sheer value of the jacket.

The fabric does a superb job at keeping water out while maintaining breathability

Of course, like all technical pieces, it needs to be cared for properly, and in all honesty that means avoiding washing it too often wherever possible, instead hanging it up to dry after a wet ride. Naturally, its fabric needs to be refreshed from time to time as accumulated dirt attracts water, rather than repelling it, so a quick 40 degree wash through with Nikwax Tech Wash does the trick and it’s back to its beading best.

Conclusion

As a flexible waterproof and breathable outer layer, the dhb Aeron Tempo jacket is hard to fault, especially at this price point. It’s well thought out with great performance and doesn’t cost the earth. We can easily see ourselves using it for the majority of this winter and right through to spring.